Waiting For Tonight
by When0Derek0Met0Casey
Summary: By day the fights of Derek and Casey ceaselessly continue, but by night...Dasey. Inprogress! All Constructive Criticism Considered!
1. Just One Shower!

**A/N******This is my first fic. I really hope you enjoy it. My sister is the one who actually encouraged me to make this, because I was making videos on you tube and she said my plots were cool…So I obviously had the creativity to make a story. If you ever want to check out my vids, which are all LWD and most are Dasey, my name is the same on there as it is on here. And if you are wondering, my sister's name is Dye-My-Hands-Violet. She had this whole joke about me being Dye-My-Hands-Yellow because we are twins. This is going to be third person limited. Meaning I can show you the perspective of more than one character, but not all the characters. I'm going to definitely delve into Casey and Derek's mind, some Lizzie, MAYBE Edwin, and if any, rarely George and Nora. Maybe even a few friends. But I doubt it. Either way... I hope you like this!

**Disclaimer******I don't own Life with Derek for the pure fact that I don't have a studio, a label, a highly developed creative arts skill, or a zest for the fruits of all things televised. But I have taken it under my wing to throw the characters that aren't owned by me into a plot that I have formed, for the enjoyment of other people who share my hopes and dreams. Enjoy!

Casey walked downstairs after an hours worth of working out to get a glass of water. Lizzie was in the kitchen helping mom cook dinner. She smiled as she walked past them. They were in their own conversation so she left the kitchen to themselves after she got what she wanted.

In the living room Derek was sitting on the couch hogging the TV, but at the moment she didn't desire it. Edwin was talking to Derek, even though it was obvious to Casey and Edwin that he wasn't listening, but Edwin's spirits weren't crushed, it was the way it was all the time. Casey sat at the far end of the couch, and Derek looked up from the TV, noticing her sudden presence rather than the strained presence of Edwin trying to get his attention.

The sweat on her skin began to dry, and left her glowing. Derek's mouth slightly opened, but he knew he couldn't have her, and his mouth closed. She turned to him, thinking that he was an imbecile; the TV was in the other direction.

"What?" Her eyebrows rose.

"Nothing." He responded, but he didn't look away.

"Do you have a problem?"

"Yeah, I do. It's you." Casey made a face at him, and walked up the stairs, slightly stomping her feet the whole way. He smirked. She made it so easy, or hard, one of those. Either way there was no happy medium between them.

Derek started flipping through the channel, but when nothing of interest showed up he tossed the remote to Edwin and walked up the stairs. Casey was in her room, exercising from the sounds of it. He walked into his room and shut the door.

Casey wouldn't retreat from his mind so he blasted his music, hoping it would drown out his thoughts.

She was exercising, trying to get Derek off of her mind. He was such a jerk. Her mind screamed to be somewhere else; a whole floor between them wasn't enough. (Before anyone gets confused on that, she doesn't know he's now upstairs!) If he didn't act like that all the time, it wouldn't be such a problem. _But every little thing he does is another molecule of a drop to a pot full of boiling water, just waiting to boil over. _Casey punched the air.

Derek got up to check his mail. He got one from Kendra.

_Hey Der!_

_I know we haven't talked all summer, great friends we are huh? My brother, his girlfriend and I are all going to the movies. They'll probably be having a make-out session and I'm looking for someone who will make me feel more comfortable! Reply back ASAP. We are going Friday! _

_Love, _

_Kendra_

He put his hands behind his head and smiled. After a few moments of random thought he reached out and clicked 'reply'.

_Kendra, _

_Yeah, sure. Sounds great! I'll make sure my dad and Nora don't have any plans. _

_Derek._

Derek clicked send and turned down his music, no longer thinking of Casey.

An hour or so passed and Casey again came out of her room, sweating, at the same moment Derek came out of his room. Unbeknownst to either of them, they both left their room for a shower. Derek stopped to look at Casey. He liked it when she was sweaty, and he liked it when she got dirty. She was always this fresh, clean, and orderly being, but he often imagined what could happen when that table turned. His mind always raced with thoughts of her drenched in rainwater, fighting with another girl, her ponytail falling out, and bra showing through her light colored clothing.

It didn't bother him that it was her step-sister. He figured if he didn't act on it, he'd be alright. Looking but not touching, was hard, but not harmful. _And she'll never have any idea._

Casey glared at him, wondering what his problem was. _What is he up to __now__? I hate it when he looks at me like that! I like it…for the strangest reason, but I know that when he looks at me like that…he did something. Or is going to do something. _

"What did you do?" Casey snapped the silence. He smirked.

"Nothing." He gave a small laugh and started toward the bathroom. Casey saw his direction and attempted to run in there first. Derek rushed into it and Casey pushed him in further so she could get in there. He stumbled back, not expecting a new tactic, and Casey continued the assault by twirling and flinging him out of the bedroom.

Derek landed with a hard thump on the floor, and Casey laughed out loud as she slammed the door.

Lizzie peered out of her doorway, afraid to find out what was going on. She was glad to see that whatever happened was over. As soon as she thought that Derek got up with a look of anger, anger that she didn't see often in him, and he banged on the door. When nothing but a hysterical laughter answered it, he opened it and shut the door.

Lizzie turned and went to her bed, afraid to hear anything or see anything, and turned on her pop music.

Derek froze at the sight of a half-naked Casey. Before his eyes wandered he turned away to face the door. He half expected Casey to scream at the top of her lungs once she caught her breath, but after a few moments of silence Derek felt a jab of Casey's fist dig into his back. He fell forward slightly then turned to face her. She was still naked from the hips up, but at that point he didn't care. _She's NEVER hit me. This crosses a line._

"What did you do THAT for?" Casey crossed her arms over her breasts, as though she were fully clothed, and gave him a 'duh you imbecile' expression. His eyes faltered slightly, knowing it was a dumb question, but held his stance.

"I need the shower, I'm all dirty and I need to be clean! You're always going to be filth no matter what you do." With that sentence he realized her ponytail was out. He could see a line through her hair where her ponytail gripped her strands of hair. It stuck out in odd places, giving her a look of sophistication, yet messy and seductive. Her sweatpants hugged her hips, and her belly was toned perfectly.

"You're always using the shower. We had that whole thing about shared space, remember? You are the one who wanted to share and look here you little hypocrite!"

"I am sharing it. You can have it _after_ me." Her lips pursed. Derek decided that he no longer needed to comment. One hand gripped her shoulder firmly and the other opened the door, he pushed her out and slammed the door.

Derek, however, remembered to lock it.

Casey fell on her butt just as Derek did. She heard the shower turn on and a look of horror went across her face. Casey got up and tried to open the door, but when it wouldn't open she pulled violently on it over and over.

Edwin came up the stairs and looked at her. Quickly turning away he cried out for help. Lizzie ran out and looked at Edwin. His fright-stricken face scared her, and he pointed a finger back at Casey.

"Casey! Where's your shirt!!" Lizzie cried out. Casey looked down, and started crying as she ran to her room and slammed the door.

Edwin and Lizzie just looked at each other, reveling in what they had just seen. He gave her a look that she had become familiar with, and they both decided without speaking words, to investigate Derek's intentions of throwing Casey out, naked.


	2. Oh It's ON!

**Author's Note******I got nice reviews! Yay! I hope everyone who is planning to follow this doesn't get disappointed!

**Disclaimer******I don't own Life with Derek. Simple.

Casey paced back and forth, screaming out in anger at random moments. Each passing thought making her blood boil. She felt her face get red, and could feel blood beating her body back and forth. Her fists clenched and unclenched. She remained topless, and despite her anger she was crying profusely.

She heard Derek singing in the shower, just to mock her. Rage came over her and she threw a hard back book she was currently reading at her mirror, luckily it didn't break.

Derek was singing some rock song he heard the other day to take his mind off of the breasts Casey had. She was…_She was so SeXy…_He turned on the cold water, and washed quickly, having some remorse for throwing her out half-naked. Derek didn't mean to make her cry. _But come to thinking of it, I don't ever mean to make her cry. I mean to make her mad. _

Derek lost himself to the song he was singing, and his problem in the lower regions ceased. He got out and dried himself.

Once he was dressed he reluctantly headed towards Casey's room. On the other side of the door the half-naked Casey continuing her pacing. His fist made contact with the door. She looked at the door in mild panic. _What if it's Derek? What if it's Mom. OR GEORGE! I'm still topless!_

"Um...Hang on please!" She said shakily. Quickly searching around for her coral robe, and found it hiding by the window sill. Casey put in on and tied it, and then opened the door. A frown spread across her face when she saw who it was. Derek smirked.

"I still think that's a great color on you." He banged his head forward, spraying her with water and he went to his room.

She wiped the water from her face and stomped to the bathroom. _Shower time…_

Lizzie and Edwin exited the closet smiling about their discussion. A yellow pad of paper was held in Edwin's hand and a pointer stick and pen in Lizzie's. They headed upstairs for a louder discussion. Being cramped and quiet in the closet could be a pain.

Dinner came too soon for Casey, and she refused to be downstairs. She did not want to see Derek for the rest of the night. Lizzie entered her room without a knock and asked if she was coming to dinner.

"No! I'm not. Have someone send food up to me. Or you can. Yeah. You. Bring me dinner if it's alright with Mom for me to eat in here." Casey looked out her window and Lizzie left silently.

Lizzie sat at the usual seat and looked at her Mom, waiting for her to notice Casey was missing.

"Isn't Casey coming down?" Derek asked. Lizzie turned to Edwin and he nodded at her. Then Ed turned to Derek.

"She refuses to be out of her room." Derek looked at Edwin, and then Lizzie added on to his sentence.

"But she does want food." She turned to Nora. "Can I take some food up to her?" Nora nodded her head yes without hesitation, knowing that Casey wouldn't make a mess due to her cleanliness.

"I'll take food to her." Derek stated aloud.

"She asked for me to take it up!" He smiled at her, grabbed Casey's plate, and headed up the stairs. Edwin let a smile show through and Lizzie wrote something down on her hand with a pen she had in her pocket.

Derek entered Casey's room with his familiar arrogance. Casey was clean, her hair dried with a slight curl in her strands, and a black shirt and gray plaid skirt on. Her hair was down. She looked at him and got up. Casey reached out to the plate but he moved it from her.

"I'm sorry about earlier Casey." He said in a whisper, smirking. She looked down and smiled, and he handed the plate out to her. Casey reached up, shoving the chicken parmesan dinner all over his clothes and jeans.

"Your apologies mean nothing to me." Casey pushed him out of the room and slammed the door. Derek's mouth was agape and he stood there for a few moments without thinking, or feeling, except the rush of wind in his ears

Casey picked up the peas and small chunk of chicken on the floor and threw them away.

When Derek regained himself, he went to the bathroom and cleaned up, and then went to his room to change. Surprisingly, he was glad she did that, because now he didn't have to feel guilty. He seated himself at the table without a word, leaving the cleaned plate upstairs on the floor in front of Casey's door.

"So school starts in a week and a half, I thought we would all go out this weekend to get new clothes and school supplies." Nora said to George and the kids.

"Sounds fine!" Lizzie said. She loved going out for new clothes. Although she wasn't the preppy type, she was the sporty type; it was enjoyable to her because it was a rare moment she felt it was alright to act like a girl. Derek looked up.

"Are we going Saturday?" He inquired.

"Yeah. Why?" Nora responded softly.

"Because Kendra invited me to the movies on Friday, and I just wanted to make sure I had no plans."

"You and Kendra are dating again?" George asked. Edwin and Lizzie were waiting with intent. Nora was eating a piece of chicken and Marti was playing with her peas.

"No. Me and her are just friends. Her brother and his girlfriend are going and she just wants someone to make her comfortable should her brother and his girl kiss." He said swiftly, and easily.

"But I saw you kiss her!" Marti cried out. Derek turned to her.

"But we were going out then. I'm not going to kiss her anymore." He said in a cute voice. Upstairs a door opened and shut. Then another door opened and a crash was heard. A slam of a door shortly after, and then another slammed door. Derek and Lizzie both ran up the stairs and Edwin trailed without a worry in the world. The two adults and Marti stayed behind waiting to find out what happened, with worried expressions across their faces.

Derek went to his room, fearful the crash happened in his room. To his horror it did. A broken plate was on the floor in front of ripped posters. Lizzie moved out of the way when he turned and nearly ran into her. Derek stormed into Casey's room where she was sitting on the window sill. He shut the door.

"What is your problem?"

"Oh, please. That's nothing compared to the things you've put me through this past year and a half." He walked closer to her, and she better positioned herself so she could glare at him without breaking her neck.

"That doesn't give you the right to do that! I apologized for the shower incident, and I felt horrible!"

Lizzie and Edwin were pressing their ears against Casey's door. Edwin was writing stuff on Lizzie's hand.

"Yeah right! Like I'm going to fall for anything you say. Everything you've ever told me was a lie, what makes this time any different?"

"What does it matter to you? You hate me!"

"Yeah, I do. And you hate me! Why do you care so much about me accepting an apology?"

The words Edwin wrote were crawling up Lizzie's arm and he was pressing so hard it was red, but Lizzie went un-phased, too wrapped up in Derek and Casey's words.

"God! I didn't give a damn about anything and you have to ruin it!"

"Ruin what? Ruin you being a jerk! That's such a bad quality to waste isn't it?" They were both red in the face. Casey stood up and Derek walked closer. Inches apart, they breathed heavily waiting for the other to speak.

"You better watch you back. It's _on_ now." Derek said in a low voice. Lizzie and Edwin still heard silence, not catching what he said. Casey stopped glaring and smiled.

"I've been looking behind my back since we first met…remember?" Derek lost his stance, knowing which memory she was talking about. So she _did _have a clue. "Please get out." Edwin and Lizzie went downstairs quickly, and Lizzie pulled a long sleeve over her arms. Derek had every temptation to slap her, rip her clothes off, kiss her, pull her hair, scream, yell and even cry a little.

But he turned and left the room.


	3. What Edwin and Lizzie Don't Know

**Author's Note******For those who desire Derek and Casey to kiss…I ask you to be patient and you _won't _be disappointed!

**Disclaimer******Life with Derek is an amazing piece of the televised world, and I am thrilled to create this plot for the readers of the LWD FanFic world. Sadly I don't own Life with Derek. Bummer eh?

Casey crawled into her bed and slipped off her skirt. She decided to sleep early tonight.

Derek headed down the stairs and sat at the table in silence. Everyone was looking at him, expecting him to tell everyone what happened, but he just started to scarf down his food.

"Umm…Derek. Is Casey alright?" He looked up and smiled.

"Yeah. For now. But my posters and your dinner plate aren't." He swallowed the last piece of chicken and took the plate to the kitchen. Nora's eyes followed him and Edwin and Lizzie looked down. George eyed Lizzie and Edwin suspiciously, but the family finished the dinner in silence.

Nora and George headed downstairs to discuss their children before confronting them. Lizzie and Edwin went to Lizzie's room to discuss Derek and Casey, and Derek put Marti to bed.

After Marti finally calmed down and fell asleep he walked past Casey's room to his room. His eyes watched the door intently as though it would open, or that he may open it, but his fingers wrapped around his doorknob and not hers.

Casey rolled over, tossing since she had decided to sleep early. It was now the time she had to go to bed, but she was not a smidge tired. Casey sat up and viewed the darkness. Her book lay on the floor with bent pages, propped up by the cover. Casey tried to resist picking it up, but gave in and placed in on her desk.

Derek turned on his music, drowning himself in the sound waves.

On the other side of the wall Casey heard his music. It was a tad too loud for her tastes. She was, yet wasn't, tired. Either way, she was going to have yet another reason to yell at him. Staring at the door she questioned if she should go tell him what's what. _Not that he'll listen. It's me talking. I don't matter. _

Derek turned it up because his aching brain kept returning to Casey. Today had been crazy. He needed to get out of the house. He needed to be away from her. Who knows what he might do if he didn't get away.

Casey heard the music get louder. There was no reason for him to make it any louder than it was!

"I was horrified Lizzie." Edwin said with wide eyes. Lizzie put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I know. But you'll love seeing boobs when you get older." His face turned dull.

"It's not that it was boobs, it's that those boobs belonged to Casey." He shuddered, and Lizzie laughed out loud.

"Okay. What I have seen and heard today starting with when I was helping mom cook dinner. We started early in the day because Mom was trying to make it good instead of something quickly done in an hour or less. So I had been helping for quite the while, when mom came out of nowhere talking about Casey." Edwin put a hand on his chin, intrigued. "She said Casey had come to her last night with some matters concerning Derek. Casey went on ranting about how his behavior towards her had been getting worse. She felt like she was going to snap. Mom said that she was going to speak to him after dinner, but from what I know they have yet to speak." Lizzie shrugged her shoulders. "Casey came in the kitchen and ignored us, even though we were talking about her."

"Which brings us to where I saw her in the living room?" Lizzie nodded her head for him to continue. "I was trying to get Derek to give me advice on this girl down the street, but he was ignoring me and paying attention only to the TV. But once Casey came in he turned his attention to her. His mouth was even hanging open a little bit." Lizzie wrote something down on the paper in front of her. "She asked if he had a problem and he said 'yeah it's you.'. Typical Derek. But as for Casey running out without getting the last word, very un-Casey. She usually makes a rude comment back and _then _storms off."

"This is accurate Edwin." He took the pen and paper from her and wrote something down quickly.

"But not a moment after Casey went upstairs so did Derek."

"Right. And we don't know what happened from then till the point in time where I watched Casey throw Derek out of the bathroom. He fell on his butt." They both started laughing. "But I made a mistake." Edwin gave a confused look. "I went into my room and turned on the music when he went into the bathroom. I was scared."

"Oh well. I know it may have given us some information, but we have lots." Lizzie shook her head yes and took in a deep breath. "Say for example when I walked up the stairs and saw Casey jiggling the handle." He shuddered at the sight of her bouncing breasts. Lizzie again laughed at him.

"Throwing her out half-naked was kind of low, even for Derek." Lizzie said in a whisper in case he was listening in. They both were constantly cautious, even though they knew both older siblings had almost no interest in Edwin and Lizzie's conversations.

"The question is why he would stoop so low as to not only become worse to Casey, but also throw her out half-naked!" Edwin added. "Plus, Casey barely noticed that she was topless, so what had Derek said to make her that focused on getting in the bathroom and getting him back? Or are there other things in her life that are bothering her? After all, Casey is very complex." Lizzie sighed out an amen.

"What about what we saw through the doorknob of the closet?"

"And heard."

"Whatever! And heard! Casey was wearing a robe, not a shirt, a robe after 15 minutes!"

"She was probably still angry about Derek throwing her out half-naked."

"Well I probably would too."

"And what about him saying I still think that's a great color on you?" Lizzie shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe he has seen her in that robe before." Edwin and Lizzie looked at each other without disgust, without comfort, with dismay, and total confusion. More research would have to be done.

"My brain hurts Ed. For right now, let's sleep." Edwin nodded his head and opened Lizzie's door, but saw Casey outside Derek's door knocking. He closed it quietly before she noticed him. Lizzie was eyeing Edwin suspiciously.

"Lizzie, Casey is knocking on Derek's door." With eager quickness they both pressed their ears on the door. A pad and pen was in Lizzie's hand, ready to write.

Casey knocked hard on the door again. He was ignoring her on purpose. That or his music was too loud. _Actually from in front of his door it's not as loud._ She shrugged it off, anticipating the chance to yell at him.

Derek was staring at the pile of ripped poster and glass plate. He detested cleaning but he knew he couldn't leave it there. Thoughts wandered to Casey being punished by Nora and George. For once he wouldn't be in any trouble. It would all be on Casey. Derek smirked.

A knock was heard in the background multiple times. He turned down the music to better hear it. Another knock which he could tell was to his door.

Derek opened the door and saw Casey there with folded arms.

"Do you have a problem?" Derek asked sweetly.

"Yeah. I do. It's YOU!" He covered her mouth.

"What are you yelling for?! I just put Marti to bed!" Casey pushed him off of her.

"I don't care. She can wake up. So can everyone else. I want you to turn down the music!" Derek made a few frustrated grunts at her, shaking open hands on either side of her, and then pulled her into the room. Casey off-balanced her self and fell onto the bed. She had put her skirt back on, but when Derek shut the door and turned to look at her, her butt was in the air, with red panties showing. Casey got up, humiliated for the second time today and slapped him.

Edwin and Lizzie snuck to Derek's door and pressed their ears against it.

"Why do you have every intention to see me topless, bottomless, naked, and angry, and sad and…" Casey started crying and Derek looked side to side in panic. She was breaking down! _Oh god…Oh god…Please save me! Oh my go- _"Derek I hate you!" She pressed to fists softly on him, attempting to hurt him, but not coming close to it. Casey was huddled on his chest crying, his hands were lifting up afraid to touch her, afraid to look passive.

"Casey, what's wrong?"

"You want to ruin my life and I don't know _why!_" Her reddened eyes were staring intently at him; she still sniffled, trying to keep the mucus from coming out of her nose.

"I'm just being me. You just try to change me. When are you going to get it?" Casey pushed him onto the computer chair.

"It's not like you haven't tried to get on my nerves _on purpose _out of nowhere!"

"Give me an example."

"How about the time you took all my clothes and makeup? Or when you had me go to school late on a SATURDAY? Or when you got prefect when you knew I wanted it, then used it to your advantage against me? And-"

"That's enough." He held up a hand and stood. "Casey. I'm sorry. But we can't change the past. I can tell you that it probably will happen again. I can't resist it." He smirked and accidentally looked her up and down. She slapped him again.

"Derek stop it! It's _different _from when we first met. Those were different circumstances. I wonder sometimes if that's why you torment me." Casey looked away, angry.

"You might find out why one day…but for now…clean up your mess." She looked at him confused and he pointed to the broken plate and ripped posters.

"Screw you. Clean it up yourself for once."

"I can make sure you don't get in trouble for doing that. Or I could make a big deal out of it like you do." Derek was smirking, knowing that she would give in. Casey sighed, feeling guilty because it was her mom's plate, not Derek's, and took it out on her Mom's plate instead of hurting Derek's stuff. Reluctantly she cleaned it.

Edwin headed upstairs to his room and Lizzie went to her bed, both reveling. _What was she talking about? When they first met?_

Casey left the room with a simple goodnight exchange.


	4. Like Lightning

**Author's Note******I hope you guys like this chapter. It's a lot of chatter, and preparation for the following chapter. It's important, and I don't think it's horribly boring. Maybe it may even hook you more? Lolz. Read and review! I love it more than you know. Express all of your opinions, I encourage it. Thought at times it's painful, it can also show you something you didn't see before causing you to be better than before.

**Disclaimer******I used to own it. But then I got sued and had to do some time in the insane asylum. Good times.

The morning started with a long yawn and a shockingly quiet Derek. Casey had gone down the stairs, with Edwin and Lizzie giving the oddest looks at her, but blew it off to go eat cereal. She couldn't wait for school to start. _Only a couple of days left._

Derek had woken up an hour earlier than Casey, surprising even himself. He called Kendra and told her that he would be able to make it. Today was Friday, and he was to leave at six o' clock.

Edwin and Lizzie barely slept and their dwindling disturbing thoughts on Derek and Casey was to blame. Despite that they woke up even earlier than Derek. Nora and George had gone to work and Marti to Dimi's (Spelling?), they had long since gotten over their fears of their children partying. Casey was trusted and Derek didn't desire the parties as much as the one on one confrontation with girls.

"What are you up this early for?" Derek looked up from the frozen pizza he was about to put in the oven. Casey looked at him expectantly.

"What are you talking to me for?" She gave a small expression of pain, and crossed her arms.

"I thought we solved this last night. Are _you _going to hold a grudge?" Derek never held grudges. He usually got people back and didn't think on it again.

"No. I haven't gotten you back yet."

"Gotten _me _back? If anyone should seek revenge it would be me."

"Why do you say that?" Derek moved threateningly close. They still hadn't noticed Edwin and Lizzie listening in from the living room.

"You threw me out of the bathroom naked, insulted me, hurt my feelings, didn't care in general, not to mentions millions of other things in the past…What am I telling you for? You don't care." Derek shrugged his shoulders and smirked. "Besides all I did to you was put chicken all over you and rip your posters. I even cleaned it up for you."

"After I made a threat." Casey stepped closer.

"So?" She turned away from him to get the milk from the fridge. Edwin and Lizzie watched Derek and not Casey. He was looking at Casey in a non-loathing, non-step brother way; His focus was on her butt neatly covered by her skirt. The middle children looked at each other.

He walked behind her and looked like he was going to do something, but she turned around, milk in hand, gave him a funny look and walked around him.

Derek wanted to tell her. He wished he could say all the things that were going on in his head, but he preferred her to mildly hate him for his usual antics. He'd never want her to hate him because he really liked her.

In a random memory he recalled using Kendra as an excuse to impress Casey. Sure Kendra had attracted him with the pierce your heart gaze, but when Casey said that Kendra liked maturity, he was reminded of Casey. At the time his mindset was _If I can't get Casey then I can get the next best thing. Someone like Casey. _It of course turned out that Kendra like his immaturity and Casey was trying to keep her mind off Derek and on their poetry project. Derek let out a sigh.

Edwin and Lizzie turned back to the TV, thinking nothing interesting would happen anymore. Casey looked up from her bowl of cereal at a thought-entranced Derek.

"I think we need to talk sometime." Derek looked at Casey.

"Talk? I don't think so." Edwin and Lizzie were unable to hear because they had turned up the TV.

"Yeah. We need to talk about the things we've been avoiding." Derek felt a mild panic. He knew, generally, what she wanted to talk about, but he was hoping that she wouldn't ask him outright if he liked her.

"I don't do girly chats Casey." She smiled.

"It's not a girly chat. I wouldn't dare talk to _you _about boys. It's going to be an informative chat. I have some things that I would like to tell you, and there are a few questions that aren't leaving me alone." Derek didn't think he'd be able to get out of it in the long run, but he could post pone it.

"I'll think about it. I am going out with Kendra tonight anyways." Casey snapped a glance at him. _He's back with Kendra? _

"Since when are you with Kendra?" She questioned before taking a bite of her cereal.

"I'm not. I'm just going to the movies with her, her brother, and his girlfriend. Me and her are just friends." Casey shook a disbelieving head yes and left the kitchen and sat on Derek's chair in the living room. He saw where she sat and quickly threw the pizza in the oven and went to where she was.

There was a brief silence. Edwin and Lizzie could feel their hearts beating. Casey glared up at him happily, and turned to face the TV.

"You're in my seat."

"I realize that."

"Get up. It's mine."

"You're so greedy." She spoke dreamily, not really paying much attention to him.

"Get up, or I'll make you, and you'll regret it."

"Hit me with your best shot." Lizzie smiled at Casey's comment, but Edwin just looked back and forth between the two elder children.

Just as Derek reached down to her hips to pull her up, a sounding boom resonating throughout the entire household, leaving them in total darkness. Lizzie felt around for the blinds and pulled them up to let light in. It was raining heavily and a blanket of gray flooded the room. Derek had jumped into Casey's lap in fright, their faces terribly close.

Edwin and Lizzie started laughing at him, and Casey tried to push him off frustration. Lizzie tried to turn the TV back on, but it was official; the power was out. Derek got up, but a silence held for an amount of time to take in the rainfall. Lizzie was the first to break the silence.

"So what do we do now?"

"I suppose I'll take a walk." Casey answered. Derek clicked in his fantasies of Casey drenched, fighting in the mud while in rained. It wasn't the fighting, or the fact that she was wet turned him on, it was that she could be dirty with or without him. It was that she was moving and bouncing. It was that side of her he wanted to see. Distressed and messy, returning to animal instincts that made her seem more human, not a woman of higher intelligence.

"In the lightning Casey? If you take an umbrella you're bound to be electrocuted." She shook her head at Lizzie; Derek still lost in arousing thoughts; Edwin fearful but interested.

"I plan to just take a walk in a raincoat. I don't _need _an umbrella. I can take a shower when I get back. Don't worry." Lizzie was about to protest but Derek started first.

"How about…"He held out his hands exaggeratedly, "How about we all go for a walk?" Derek smiled eagerly at all of them. Casey was utterly confused, and Lizzie was warming up quickly to the idea. Not because she loved walks in the rain, but because Derek was promising things to be viewed for her and Edwin's investigation. Edwin dreaded the idea, and spoke it to the rest.

"I don't want to go! You three can." He smiled weakly. Lizzie gave him a look and when he didn't respond she grabbed his wrist and took him in the kitchen. Derek and Casey looked at each other confused.

"Derek has just asked to have us all go out on a walk. When does he go for leisurely walks?" Edwin shrugged his shoulders. "I'm positive it has something to do with Casey."

"But he asked us to go too."

"So it didn't look too weird." Edwin gave a look of realization and nodded his head.

"What's up with Lizzie?" Derek asked Casey.

"I have no idea. Lately she's been acting funny."

"Like how?" He crossed his arms, intent.

"I don't really know how to describe it. I feel like she's becoming a hermit." He shrugged his shoulders and grabbed her wrist, lifting her to her feet. Casey wiped his hand off. "What? Do you want to seriously take a walk with me?"

"Mainly for the kids." He smirked.

"So you want me to just stay here with you and have no one see what they do? He might not even go if neither of us do." Lizzie said, highly frustrated with Edwin's stubborn behavior.

"Fine! I'll go. I'll go. But you owe me."

"How about great data and a brilliant sister?" Lizzie turned on her heel and left before Ed responded.

The four of them grabbed assorted color raincoats and exited the house. A burst of lightning stung their eyes, but they were unharmed, the thunder echoing in the background.


	5. A walk in the Lightning Light

**Author's Note **Hello! It's been a little while, but here is chap 5! Six is sure to come rather quickly! I enjoyed writing this chapter, wether or not you like the chap. I love all reviews and would love it if you reveiwed!

**Disclaimer **Silly chickens dance in the streets of olden-time Canada. A young lad by the name of Micheal Seater trots to them and laughs to himself. They are wetting themselves on the copyright papers to Life with Derek. HAH! I don't own Life with Derek. It belongs to chicken pee.

At the start of their walk all four were silent and huddled for warmth against the cold rain, but at some point Derek put an arm around a shivering Casey and the two younger kids backed away to view how it would progress. Perhaps at some point Derek and Casey would become unaware that they were still there, because they had become as silent as the dead. Edwin smiled at Lizzie's determined face.

Casey looked at Derek, smiled, and then frowned, pushing off his arm.

"I was just trying to make sure you weren't cold. I know how girls can be."

"I'll be fine Derek. Didn't know you cared so much." Casey quipped, smirking to herself, staring intently ahead. Derek tried to say something back, but a crash of thunder banged out in the background, leaving what he had said inaudible even to him. "What did you say?"

"You're a pompous little preppy who thinks she's always right." Her face tilted toward him and she gave him a saddened expression.

"And you're an ignorant jerk who can't stand being upstaged by someone with more skills than him." He looked down and coughed, and then turned his head back to see if Lizzie and Edwin were still there. Instantly they turned to each other and pretended to be in a conversation.

"I guess we're practically the same then." Casey gave out a short laugh.

"Hardly."

"Think about it." He smirked, turning towards her, blinking as the rain fell harder. Her hair was drenched and it almost looked like she was crying, but that could have easily just been the rain. "You think you are always right, and when you are wrong you hate being upstaged in intelligence." She laughed harder.

"And YOU'RE a Polly Preppy Pants?" Casey sarcastically questioned. Derek laughed hard at this. He certainly couldn't have expected that comment.

Edwin chuckled and Lizzie nudged him, and put a single finger up to her lips for him to be quiet.

"Nice." Casey turned to him and smiled, but anger flushed through when she remembered the horror stricken face of Edwin when he saw her topless. It had just dawned on her that _Derek _saw her topless. The entire time she was angry was because he had thrown her out half-naked. Not a second thought was given to this morbid fact.

"Umm…" She said in a wavering voice. Derek curved his eyebrows inward.

"Are you cold? Maybe we should go back?"

"I'm fine Derek!" Derek turned back and saw Lizzie and Edwin shaking.

"Well I'm telling them to go back."

"Fine." Derek turned to talk to them and they stopped, while Casey kept vigilantly treading the rain slicked sidewalk. Another lightning bolt was seen out of the corner of her eye, and seconds later the familiar thundering.

"You guys need to go home. It's too cold. We'll be back later okay?" Lizzie raised her eyebrows in fury and frustration, but Edwin turned on his heel and headed home without a word. Thoughts swam violently in Lizzie's head, but she knew that sooner or later she would find out what was going on. Reluctantly after a stern gaze from Derek, she too turned on her heel and headed home to the warmth remaining in the household.

Derek smirked and jogged up to Casey.

"Eager to get away from me?"

"You aren't going home with them?" She sighed out.

"No. Didn't you want to talk to me anyways?" Casey's blood boiled but it was shaken out of her when a bolt of lightning hit the lamp post across the street. Nothing happened to it, but she was shaken. Thunder pulsed closer.

"You okay?" Derek said worriedly.

"I'm fine! QUIT ACTING LIKE YOU CARE!" He furrowed his brows. "That's a question. One moment you like me and the other you don't! I want to stop feeling happy-angry." He stopped and crossed his arms. She turned in front of him continuing her verbal assault. "I don't like being happy that I'm angry or angry that I'm happy! You're destroying my mind! All I can think about is you and tearing you down or tearing you up, making you smirk or grin or get angry. I want you to cry and scream and yell and-"

"You're being silly." Casey's fists clenched at her sides.

"ARGHH!" She yelled up at the wet sky, turning away from him and stomping off a few steps. Casey turned with a cold stare and opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Derek walked up to her and surprisingly she remained still.

"I've handled crazier women. I can handle whatever you have to say or ask."

"_Handle??!!_" Her eyes were wide, and Derek realized he used the wrong word. Hopefully she would just break open and tell him. Inside it was agonizing to wait. "Remember a year before George and my mom got married?"

"Yeah…"

"Was I crazy then?" Derek thought for a moment.

"I didn't really know you."

"Yeah. That's why I wasn't crazy. I hadn't gotten to know you." She turned and started walking off, but Derek took a couple of steps and ripped her around to face him, her hair lightly slapping his cheeks.

"What makes you think you know _anything _about me?" He asked coolly.

"I've lived with you long enough. I see how you go through girls, and I see how you are to everyone around you. I can't believe I thought-"Casey stopped herself short, a current of thoughts running ramped in her mind. What had she thought? _Nothing. _It was a feeling, not a thought. She almost said it, before she even thought it. _But I felt it. WHY?_

"Thought what?" Casey looked past Derek. "Thought what?!" He repeated.

"I'm cold, I…I want to go home." Derek became torn between fury, confusion, and worry. In a rare moment of courtesy he took off his raincoat and dry jacket underneath and wrapped them both around Casey, and he was barely worried about her raincoat getting his jacket wet. She smiled and they walked back to the house in silence.


	6. Secrets of the Bedroom

**Author's Note **I sware to you that my Dasey scene come withing the next 3 or 4 chapters. Have vigilant patience as I am desperatley trying to keep! I have laid out the plot line in my head, and if I stray it would all crumble. So...yeah. I wanted to make them kiss so bad last chapter, as I'm sure many of you can relate! But even as the writer, I must wait...Enjoy this! You'll learn a little bit.

**Disclaimer **I don't own it! Lolz.

Edwin and Lizzie were upstairs in his room, and Lizzie paced the floorboards up and down. He reclined himself comfortably on his bed and Lizzie attempted a full on assault on his pillow on the floor.

"What if something happened?" She asked, angry.

"We'd still be observing and researching." He stated simply, shrugging his shoulders.

"They seemed detached from their personalities didn't they?"

"I'm not into the whole psychological stuff." Lizzie rolled her eyes at him. "Maybe we should take a break from this?" Her eyes fixed on him.

"Why? What if we miss something important?"

"What if all this observation makes you obsessed?" She stopped her pacing and thought for a moment.

"Or. Or what if we take this time into our hands and use it as an advantage?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, leaning forward.

"I'll check my sister's room for something to help us out and you check Derek's room."

"But what if they come back while we are in their rooms?"

"We'll leave the door open and since there is absolute silence in the house we will hear the door open." She said rapidly. He took a moment to soak it all in.

"Let's do it then!"

Moments later Lizzie stepped into Casey's room. The eerie silence of the house was amplified in Casey's room because she wasn't supposed to in there. Not knowing where to look she glanced over to her sister's bookshelf. A book adorned with patches of cloth and bejeweled almost randomly stuck out haphazardly. She gingerly touched it and realized it must be Casey's journal. Excited by the discovery she flipped it open.

Edwin glanced across Derek's filthy room. Even he was tidier than this teenager. Of course Casey's room was no doubt cleaner than his own, but Derek should be at least a little cleaner. He sat down hoping something would just dawn on him, because he feared to look and find something much worse than he anticipated. Realizing the comfort of his brother's bed, he leaned his head back onto a pillow. There was a soft lump in it. Curious Edwin pulled it out. It was a pile of folded pieces of paper tied by a rubber band. Swiftly he tore of the rubber band to inspect it.

_Dear Diary, _

_I think I'm coming close to hating life. I meet this great guy, I think he's a sweetheart and I never see him again. Scratch that. I see him a year later…and he's a new step brother. But not only is he a step brother, but he's much worse than what I thought. The good guys are either taken, gay, or not what you thought. _

There was more writing but Lizzie turned back to the beginning of the journal, hoping to find something from two years ago. The date of the first entry was too soon, but she read the entry anyway.

_Diary, _

_Mom is dating this new guy. I believe his name is George, and she talks about him a lot. What she says reminds me of this guy I met a couple of months ago. It was this random accident, which was so unbelievably romantic I couldn't resist his temptation of a kiss. I wish I could see him again…Though I only met up with him three times, I felt a strange connection. Sure I go to a girl's private school, and I haven't really kissed a guy before him…it was just too perfect to let go. _

_Maybe I will see him again in the future and I could learn more about him. _

_-Casey_

The first note he pulled was from the middle, and at a glance at all of them, they were all addressed to the same person. Casey.

_Hi Casey!_

_What's up? Not much here…Um…There's something I need to tell you, and like all the other notes I've written this probably won't make it to you either. Knowing that sad fact…this time I just won't write it. _

Frustrated and anticipating what Derek might have to say, he quickly folded the note and grabbed another.

_Um, hey! It's Derek._

_I've been meaning to talk to you about something concerning me and you. Remember when we first met…how come you never talked to me about it when we found out we were steps? I wanted to talk to you about it, but believe it or not you intimidate me. I still like you. I still…I still love you. I mean, I, _

Some of the words were scratched out after that and Edwin attempted to read it through the scribbles.

_I mean, I, I felt strongly…you…heart-thumping, besides, I couldn't see you…we might have…the first time…_

Aggravated, Edwin folded up the note and grabbed another one.

Lizzie flipped to the day of George and her mom's wedding.

_Dear Diary, _

_Derek tried to confront me again about what happened last year. I avoided him again, which is something I rarely do…I just don't want to be tempted to kiss him like I did before…our parents are married now…I know it's not against the law but nobody would accept it…plus there are other fish in the sea right?_

_George seems really nice, Marti is such a cutie pie, and Edwin is alright. I hope living with them won't be disappointing. After all, I am more used to being around girls._

_-Casey_

_Hello Casey, _

_I'm tired of you avoiding me! Do you hate me? If you want it that way, it can be that way! For the first time in my life I felt connected to a girl, but you know…it doesn't even matter. Your kiss will always be the best, step-sister or not…but I can guarantee that you won't like me anymore…hopefully it will make you feel better about my Dad and your Mom's marriage if it turns out you didn't like me as much as you thought you did. _

_Derek_

Edwin folded the note back up and reached for another one when the front door was heard clearly upstairs. He tied the rubber band back around the notes and tossed back into the pillow case. Lizzie quietly closed the journal and walked out, shutting the door behind her. She saw Edwin coming out of Derek's room and shutting his door. They tiptoed up to Edwin's room as the footsteps of both older siblings were heard coming up the stairs.

Casey went into her room and Derek went into his room. Neither of them suspected a thing.


	7. Blue Hearts and Kendra's Friendliness

**Author's Note******Most of this is description. There's barely any dialogue. I hope you like it though. Read, Enjoy, Review!

**Disclaimer******You know, it's pretty sad that I had to wish upon a Keebler Elf to finally realize: I'm never going to own Life with Derek.

Lizzie and Edwin barely had time to talk because Casey called them down the stairs to talk to them about chores. They protested for a few moments, due to the darkness of the house how could they perform chores effectively, but she handed them both a flashlight and their protests were forced to die.

The moment that they both finished their chores George and Nora walked and called them all to the living room. Nora decided to take the girls today for school shopping and the boys tomorrow since Derek had a date.

Casey went upstairs to take a shower, Derek followed her, Edwin went with George to the basement to discuss personal matters concerning a balanced checkbook, and Lizzie was told to wash up after Casey did. She waited downstairs, watching TV.

Before Casey could enter the bathroom Derek stopped her.

"I hope you know…that I actually am sorry." Casey crossed her arms, not sure how to take the comment. Derek misinterpreted the silence. "Why don't you accept my apology for once?"

"I…I do. I do accept it I mean." Casey looked down blushing. "I have to take a shower Derek…Please don't bother me."

"Sure thing." He looked at her chest quickly and smirked. She turned, apparently not noticing, and took the before mentioned shower.

Lizzie decided to turn her mind off for the rest of the day. Such shocking evidence of what she silently guessed to herself put her in a state of something close to horror, but an added dosage of shock, disgust, and mild humor. It was like irony, but not quite, and before she could determine the entirety of the situation, her thoughts were numbed by a cartoon show.

After both of the girls were cleaned and dressed, all four girls set out to the mall, and Derek hopped into the shower to prepare for his friend-date with Kendra.\

Kendra's brother Jet, and Kendra herself showed up in the driveway. No girlfriend of his sat in the car. He posed the question to Kendra and she said that they were picking her up next. It was hard to imagine how Kendra and Jet were related. He had black hair with acne crawling all over his face. Kendra, the beautiful blonde, didn't have acne on her face. On an earlier endeavor he found a few on her breast, but it wasn't that bad…Besides, at the time he was focused on other things. _We're all imperfect anyways. _

Casey and Lizzie were picking out contrasting outfits. Lizzie leaned to the darker and sportier clothing, while Casey interested herself in bright preppy clothes. There was one shirt that was dark that did catch her interest. It was black with blue and light blue hearts scattered across it's front. The back said:

_Catch my blue heart_

_I'll make it beat_

It sounded like an unfinished stanza of a depressing poem, but she interpreted it happily and tried it on. _Blue is Derek's favorite color right?_

Lizzie loved it, but Nora, not so much. She let Casey get it anyway. Casey picked out the cutest jean skirt to go with it.

Marti had a growing interest in the rainbowy/punk type clothing. Lizzie wondered how she would grow, and wished that she could just see the blasted future.

Derek and Kendra sat in the back when they arrived at Mary's house. She walked out of the house, not hesitating to kiss her acne-boyfriend. Mary was adorned with many pieces of jewelry and colors ranging across the spectrum. Her eyes were large and a bright green color, her hair a light shade of pink, dyed of course.

They sat in the movie theater in the front. Derek would have preferred the back, but he was outnumbered by three. Before he knew it, Mary and Jet were lip-locked, shameless to the fact that his baby sister was right there.

"This is why I am glad you're here."

"The pleasure is mine." He smirked at her, and then turned his attention back to the movie. Kendra eyed his body for a few more moments.

"Pleasure?"

"Hmm?" Derek asked blindly. Kendra pulled his face down to her and kissed his lips. His eyes were opened, staring at her closed ones, wishing she would stop. Not that it was a bad kiss; it was just a public, not-going-out-with-you kiss. When they parted she looked happily into his eyes, not really minding his shock. "What was that for?"

"It was just a friendly kiss."

"A friendly kiss?" He drew out exaggeratedly. She shook her head yes and turned back to the movie, leaving Derek highly confused.

At the end of the movie, both Kendra and Derek took a few minutes to try and break Jet and Mary's trance-of-the-lips, and when they finally broke apart all of the audience was out of the theater.

"Thanks for taking us shopping Mom." Casey thanked, truly thankful. She had gotten more clothes this time than she had anytime in earlier years. It was probably her mom spoiling her because she was graduating.

"Yeah, thanks Mom." Lizzie added. She wanted to thank her when she got home, but if she didn't thank her now she would look like an ungrateful daughter. Marti laughed out loud.

"Lizzie's a copycat!"

"Now now Marti, she was being polite, not a copycat." Marti shook her head no and turned up the radio. Nora turned it down and a fight between the itty-bitty one and Nora ensued for the rest of the ride.

Derek was home before the girls were. He was upstairs in Casey's room, wishing to happen upon something to explain her, but when nothing appeared relevant to him he went back to his room.

Casey hauled her stuff to her room, as did Lizzie and Marti. The first thing Casey did was put on the black shirt with blue hearts on, and the jean skirt she picked out to match it. She searched her jewelry for things that matched. Casey happened upon a best friend's necklace with a blue jewel, a pair of blue bracelets, and silver earrings with 3d hearts on the ends that were silver also. She put on black flip flops and a silver anklet. After trying to put her hair up, she let it down, much more pleased with how it looked down. Happy with her appearance she went out to her family to test its reactions.

Derek went downstairs before Casey came out of her room. Lizzie was doing the same thing Casey did and came out of her room at the same moment.

"I love your outfit Casey!" Casey smiled and looked at Lizzie. She was sporting a red shirt with black stripes down either side and black pants with red stripes going down both its sides. Lizzie had her hair up in a ponytail and looked like herself in it.

"Yours matches well, not only to itself, but to you as well. Great choice!"

"Thanks!" They said in unison. Casey headed downstairs and Lizzie went to Edwin's room.

Derek turned to see Casey coming down the stairs. It seemed like a slow motion movie, with the most beautiful actress starring as Casey MacDonald, except it really was Casey. His jaw dropped. She smiled, dignified, happy with his reaction. Without another moment, she turned on her heel and went back to her room.


	8. Too Frightened To Not Dream

**Author's Note******I enjoyed writing this chapter so much! I've had something like this happen, because I talk a lot in my sleep. But yeah. I'm sure you guys will love it! Read, Enjoy, Review!

**Disclaimer**Like I own this? Puh-lease. Let me get my posse on with who ever thinks I own it. You know what I'm gonna be for Halloween? The person who owns Life with Derek. Maybe Micheal Seater will come to me dressed as a Prince Charming. Not that he needs the costume. XD

Lizzie entered Ed's room without knocking, but he took no interest in her. He was, at the moment, focused on balancing a checkbook.

"Well?" Lizzie made a motion to her outfit. She needed approval from more than just her sister. Girls were kind to your face, but you never knew what really went on in their minds, even if you were a girl. Guys on the other hand were straightforward with words or expressions. "Ed!" Edwin looked up and noticed her new outfit.

"Very…you." He continued smiling a brotherly, accepting smile.

"So it looks good?" Edwin nodded his head yes. Lizzie turned to leave the room, satisfied but Edwin stopped her short.

"Where are you going?"

"Downstairs to watch cartoons."

"Didn't you want to talk about matters concerning operation C and D?"

"Umm. Not tonight. What I found is so incredibly shocking that I can't bear to think on it at the moment. I'm going to wait till the shock settles and discuss the matter tomorrow. Say, the moment you get home from shopping?"

"That's a good idea." He let out a deep sigh, and Lizzie was curious to find out what he found out, but let the desire subside quickly before exiting the room. Edwin returned to the checkbook and Lizzie started towards the steps.

Casey was walking back up them and Derek's eyes were fixed on her womanly curves. Upon seeing Lizzie he jerked his head toward the TV hoping she hadn't noticed. Casey smiled as she passed her, and then Lizzie took up a seat furthest from Derek. George exited the room and started up a conversation with Nora in the kitchen behind the shield of its wannabe doors.

Lizzie kept eyeing him in the breaks of the show, and kept feeling a dread of some sort, though she knew there was nothing to _really _dread. Derek realized through the awkwardness of Lizzie's stares that she had in fact seen him checking out Casey's rear. Not that he could help himself. Most of him wished that it was Casey's lips that kissed his tonight and not Kendra's. The other part wished it was Angelina Jolie.

"Do you have something to say Lizzie?" He asked kindly, not taking his eyes off the commercials. Lizzie snapped her eyes to the TV, not realizing that he could see her out of the corner of his eye. _Should I mention it, and take his excuse…because most likely he will come up with something on the spot, or should I say no and let it be? Decisions. If I go one way I lose a bit of information and though I may never find out what it is that I lost by going the wrong direction I will still feel that sense of What If. But that's a whole other tangent. _

"Yeah. But I think you know what I would have to say."

"Why don't you say it anyway?"

"It's more of a question and at the moment I'm a tad too frightened." Derek turned to her confused. Looking at Casey's butt wasn't _that _bad was it?

"It's alright. The worst that will happen is me not answering or worse…lying."

"Big surprise."

"So shoot kiddo. I can take it."

"Well I can't. Especially here. Maybe some other time!" Lizzie forced some strange excited being to possess her body and hop happily away to the upstairs to take refuge from Derek. For a moment she thought she might just confront him about what she read in Casey's journal, but logically speaking, it may be better to talk to Edwin about it tomorrow and _then _deal with operation D.

Night fell slowly and most of them were drowsy. Casey had fallen asleep hours ago, Lizzie was drowsy but still awakened by the thought of Derek being sweet, kissing on Casey. Edwin eyed his ceiling till he only saw the darkness from behind his eyelids, and Marti was in candy land tonight, dreaming of ponies taking her on a rainbow ride to Greenland where things are like swimming in puddles of pudding.

Derek however rolled over, disturbed by Lizzie and entranced by Casey. It is unneeded to mention that he was more interested in what Casey did to him.

In a spur of the moment decision his feet carried him across his bedroom floor. His door, as though opened by another's hand, floated dreamily open showing him the way to Casey's room.

Casey lay there sleepily, drifting in and out of sleep as she usually did. In her younger years it made her prone to sleepwalking, but as she got older she grew out of it.

This dream was particularly pleasant. Something she had longed for the whole time she had first met with Derek nearly two and a half years ago, happened often in her dreams.

But it was even better tonight, because tonight it felt real.

Derek leaned down and brushed her hair aside. She looked so pleasant and beautiful as she laid there sleeping. Feeling his blood rush he looked at the door to make sure it was shut, and that no one was watching. Derek knew it was ludicrous of him to think that all someone had the time to do was to spy on him, but he checked nearly six times before doing what he had intended to do.

In her dream she felt a hand slide across her face and there she saw Derek in the same park he had taken her to. She remembered when she first saw him on the front steps of her private school. A girl had just broken up with him, or so he said, and his eyes were red. Thinking on it now, it may have been because his mom and dad had just gotten their divorce, but she never pressed that subject matter.

Derek lightly touched her lips as though preparing them. Casey's eyes fluttered open and she thought she was still in dreamland.

Her hands came up slowly and placed themselves on the back of his neck. Without hesitation, welcoming her 'dream', she kissed Derek with an unmoving trance. Derek breathed slowly out of his nose, not wanting to startle her, being startled himself. She pulled away as she always did in her dreams.

"I'll never tell you when I wake up." Casey mumbled out. Derek looked around, not understanding what she meant.

"What?"

"My dreams are my dreams and the horses can't' fly in real life…just like this." Her arms flew up above her head and her eyes closed again. She let out a breath signifying she was back into her sleep.

Derek realized after an hour's worth of staying up that Casey thought she was dreaming.


	9. You Give Me NoseBleeds

**Author's Note******Hello! This chapter has a lot of hints at Dasey, instead of outright Dasey like last chapter. Remember, it is not the destination, it's the scenery that you view before you get there that makes it all worth the while. I love all reviews! I enjoy constructive criticism! ENJOY!

**Disclaimer******I shall start off with a quote. _"Merry Christmas When0Derek0Met0Casey. We know that this is a late Christmas present but we would like to tell you that we have signed over rights to you and your fantabulous mind! Just joshing you! It's April Fools day!" _What a meaningful and pleasant quote, eh? Might as well rub dog poo in my face. D:

Casey stretched out her arms awakening from last night's pleasant dream. She hadn't had one where she kissed Derek in a while, but there was something about this particular dream that spread even deeper into her skin. After glancing at the clock and seeing that it was nine-twenty, she went down to get breakfast.

A tapping sounded on Lizzie's door and, with frustration, she got up and answered it. Edwin walked in like no one's business, and sat comfortably on her bed. She shut the door. At this point they had become more than step-brother and step-sister, but really good friends. He retained no qualms in seeing her in her pajamas, and she was not irritated at his most arrogant entrance.

Derek rolled over slowly, seeking for the blanket, but instead rolled right off the bed. His face crashed right into the nightstand, causing his nose to bleed. He let out a deep breath of agony that penetrated his room. A few seconds passed and he stood up, and as he reached for his door handle Derek heard quick footsteps coming up the stairs and Casey whisked open his door.

She looked at him in horror then hurried him to the bathroom. Derek's hand was cupping his nose but that did little to stop the blood from coming through his fingers and running down his forearm.

Casey quickly went to the closet to get an old unused wash towel. He turned on the faucet and drowned his face in the water, turning the sink a pinkish tinge. She came back and continued fretting over him.

"I can take care of myself Casey." He said, pushing her away and taking the towel away from her.

"I'm just trying to help, don't get defensive."

"I don't need your help." Derek hadn't put the towel on his face yet, the blood ran all over his night shirt.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah."

"Too bad your shirt says otherwise. You think too slowly." He looked down and it turned to a mild suit of anger, but he simply whipped off his shirt. For the second time they were both in the bathroom, one of them being topless. She found herself eyeing his muscles fondly, particularly his shoulders and arms. Derek smirked and Casey hadn't noticed.

"Seems you think a little slowly as well."

"Hmm?" She scrunched her face, but blew of the bewilderment and threw the towel into the shower and absentmindedly cleaned up the blood on the floor while Derek attempted to stop his nose bleed. He hoped he hadn't broken it or anything, but if he had it might be hurting worse than the numbing feeling.

"Casey, why is it that when you get really bad cuts, bruises, and broken bones, it feels like there is this numbness, yet you still feel it?" Casey stopped scrubbing and cleansing to look up in shock. _Derek actually has deep thoughts?_

"How inquisitive of you."

"Just answer the question."

"Endorphins."

"That sounds more like an extinct species." Casey giggled and when she realized that she was actually having fun around Derek she regained her normal poise and continued scrubbing.

"It's what your body releases when there is too much pain. It's like morphine, except it's natural and not harmful to your system."

"How do you know these things?" Casey looked up at him like he was an idiot, but took a strange sympathy.

"I just do."

Edwin and Lizzie were raveled in their own conversation to have even heard Derek's mild cry for help and Casey's fast tempo assistance.

"You should have seen what I saw in Derek's room!"

"You should have seen what I saw in Casey's!" Edwin eyed her suspiciously, but believed that what he discovered was much more important.

"You go first; I think mine is more mind-blowing." Lizzie scoffed and seized the chance to go.

"Apparently Casey and Derek knew each other about a year before our parents got married. And I think they had a relationship! This I found in Casey's diary. You think she'd hide it better, but she's so focused on organization that she wouldn't be able to hide it without feeling the need to organize it."

"I found notes in his pillow that were supposed to go to Casey but never did. A couple of them were a little cynical, saying that he was sure this note wasn't going to make it to her just like all the other notes. He said that he wanted to be with her _again_."

"So basically we found the same thing?" Lizzie asked rhetorically. A silence hung over them. Edwin peered out the window and Lizzie looked at the bottom of her door. Shadows danced back and forth, and her ears turned on to find that it was Derek and Casey in the hallway. Lizzie got up and put her ear to her door again, and Edwin mimicked the action.

"Has it stopped yet?" A pause pierced the hallway.

"No, not yet, but it has slowed down."

"You know I'm not actually sure if you're supposed to tilt your head back and let it pool in the back of your head, or squirt it out all over your clothes." After a small silence both of the teens burst out laughing for what seemed like no particular reason, but both of the preteens agreed that it was because of Casey's lame joke.

Edwin was a little annoyed and left the door to sit back on her bed. Lizzie's ear remained pressed against it, but after a few minutes no more was heard.

"He was having a nosebleed." Edwin said confidently.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. But if I am wrong, I'm sure we'll figure it out if we just went out there."

"But what if-"

"I'm tired of the what-ifs. I think, at this point, I know too much. Lizzie, I really hate to say this, but I am pulling out of the investigation. I don't want to know anymore." Lizzie eyed him solemnly, but understood quietly what his reasons were. She nodded her head, agreeing with him and his decision.

"I'm not pulling out yet, but you need to swear you tell no one of my investigation, nor interrupt my investigation when you know it's in progress."

"Deal." He commenced the secret handshake and ended it with a good bye, and an exit from her room.

Derek and Casey had both gone downstairs to get breakfast, but Casey wouldn't let him eat till it completely stopped. Edwin walked in the kitchen, during their minor dispute.

"If you _chew _it will affect your nose and make it bleed even more!" Casey argued.

"You expect me to wait for it to crust over?" Derek questioned in annoyance.

"No, I expect you to wait till it stops!" Neither of the teens took notice of Edwin.

"Too bad, I'm eating, I'm hungry."

"You're Derek…or did you forget your name again?" He turned to her. Deep inside her mind, the dream she had was twisting back and forth, plus the fact she only wanted to help. Why did Derek have to be so anal about his dominance and independence? Deep inside Derek however, the kiss he left her was something new. Though they had kissed before, it had been over two years since that time and they had both grown mentally and physically. So to him it was like kissing a whole new Casey, but he was thankful she believed it to be a dream.

"No, I've never forgotten my name. Neither have the ladies."

"Only you, and someone just like you, would bring that up." Casey rolled her eyes and left her breakfast in the kitchen, too frustrated to even eat anymore. Edwin looked at his brother silently.

Derek didn't start eating until his nose stopped bleeding, just like Casey had told him to.


	10. We Think His Name Is Jericho

**Author's Note**Kind of a filler, kind of not. It's really important, but I was actually kind of bored writing it. Hopefully you guys will have inquiring and deep thoughts as to the happenings of this chapter. As always! ENJOY AND REVIEW!

**Disclaimer**Jesus Maid Marian! I told you, I don't own Life with Derek! Did you shoot brocolli again?

Derek and Edwin left hours later with Nora to go clothes shopping. Derek was happy with his clothes, and hoped that she wouldn't make him try on 'dork' clothes. Edwin's only hope was to find a new 'lucky' shirt.

Lizzie left to go over to her good friend Jamie's house. They were going to play a one on one game of soccer, and she was going to eat there. Her investigation would again be put on hold. Casey exercised and headed over to Emily's house. Marti went with George to play in the park, and she refused to leave without her monkey.

When Edwin and Derek got a few items they wanted to try out they went to the men's dressing room, leaving Nora behind. Edwin went into the one next to Derek.

"Hey Derek." Edwin said loudly, taking off his shirt. He did swear off the investigation, but it couldn't hurt to ask what he wanted, brother to brother.

"Yeah?" Derek replied taking off his pants.

"Remember a long time ago before Dad married Nora, and there was this girl that you wouldn't stop talking about?" Edwin grabbed a shirt off the hanger and slipped it on.

"Yeah." Derek stated in mild fear, also wondering what might have made Edwin think of this. A pair of jeans was whipped on. "Why? What about her?"

"Remember how you told me that you never felt that way about a girl, and it would be nice if you got to see her again?" Edwin took off his pants and reached for another pair.

"Yeah. Please get to your point!" Derek stated in aggravation.

"What if I told you that I knew who she was and could tell you where you could find her?" Derek thought for a moment.

"I'd say that that was impossible." Edwin smiled, knowing that Derek didn't know that he knew what Derek didn't want him to know. _But oh how I know._

"I wouldn't be so sure about that Derek." After that there was a silence between the brothers as they picked out their clothing.

Casey came to the door of Emily's house, wanting to tell her everything about her and Derek she never told anyone, but didn't know if she could. What would she think? What would she feel? Would she hate her?

"Hey Casey!" Emily opened the door eagerly before Casey even knocked. "Come in! There's someone I'd like you to meet!" Her voice got lower. "I told him about you, and he really wanted to meet you!" Casey blushed, glad that they weren't going to be watching a movie or talking, because she had really considered telling her this time.

"Okay." Casey said with a mild hint of enthusiasm. Emily led her into the dining room where her mom and dad were seated, speaking with a tall, dark-brown hair, blue eyed, handsome guy. Casey's heart sank in happiness and sudden shyness. This really cute guy who liked her personality from Emily's description was actually interested. Not a guy only focused on body, or focused on getting some, but a guy who had class. Or so she hoped. Emily sat down in the seat next to her mom, leaving only the chair next to the stranger. Casey took it shakily.

"Hi, my name is Jericho." He held out a hand, and she took it politely, smiling sincerely.

"Is your name really Jericho?"

"No." 'Jericho' looked down and smiled. Casey crossed her arms and let out a small laugh. "It's actually Zachary. Call me Zach though." She thought he was a little weird, but she was getting good vibes and decided to just go with it.

"So Zach, Emily tells us that you have a lot of extracurricular activities, is this true?" Emily's mom began.

"Yeah, I do a lot of things for the community." He answered softly.

"Oh really? Like what?" Asked Em's Dad. Casey was curious as well.

"I like to help out the blind, and clean up parks. I baby-sit for free for poor working class people too." Casey was about to ask a question, and as though Emily read her mind she asked what she wanted to ask.

"What about schoolwork? Do you have time for that, since you have so many other things you do?"

"Definitely. I leave myself time after school, before school and on the weekend dedicated to school work." He turned to Casey. "Hope you don't think that makes me a nerd."

"I don't think you are." She smiled sweetly. Emily's mom let out a cough.

"I think my husband and I are going to go upstairs to talk, you guys have fun!" She pulled Em's Dad's arm out of the dining room. Emily watched them go up the stairs.

"Oh. Well crap." Emily turned to Casey, "I forgot to ask them a question." She turned to Zach. "I'll be right back." She smiled weakly. _She thinks she's so sly. _Casey thought.

"So, do you do anything outside of school?" Casey smiled up at him.

"Anything I can."

"Did you do anything recently?"

"Yeah, actually I volunteered for kid's day camp."

"Really?" He asked, intrigued.

"Yeah. My little step-sister went to it to show support."

"What about the past?"

"Oh at my old school I was always trying to get elected for school president, helping with fundraisers, I'm big on cleaning but I've never actually cleaned parks or anything. I'd like to volunteer more in the future but a lot of my time is spent on school work and friends. You know, for my sanity." Zach smiled at the last bit.

"I know what you mean. I would go crazy without my friends. But they are into volunteering too, so when I volunteer so do they, and I get both at the same time." Casey nodded her head.

"I wish mine were like that."

"So what's your favorite subject?"

"English and Drama. I was in a musical once too. I think I may do that again."

"I'm not big on acting, but I love technical stuff. Maybe if you try out again I could be a stage hand." She looked down, blushing furiously, lips hurting from her continuous smile. _He's so cute and sweet and smart! _

"I'd like that Zach." Emily came back in the middle of the sentence.

"So, you guys want to watch a movie with me?" Casey smiled.

"Yeah sure!" Zach said quickly, hoping Casey wouldn't reject.

"I second that!" Casey said to Emily. Em smiled her I-know-you-think-he's-cute smile. Casey honestly didn't care.

They watched the movie without speaking, even thought both Casey and Zach kept peering at each other when they thought neither of them were looking. Because Zach sat in the middle, Emily barely noticed.

His pinky was accidentally on Casey's, but neither of them dared move.


	11. What We Wish Could Be Simple

**Author's Note******There is a lot of emphasis on Derek and Casey in this chapter and I can't help but feeling like Derek is a little OOC, but in this situation it reminded me of what he did in Crushing the Coach, but I would still like your guys opinion on this. At the moment I am ignoring the rest of the family for a reason, so please don't bash me on that. I have to get a few things out and then we can go back to the days and night of the family. XP. I hope you enjoy this chapter! READ REVIEW ENJOY! ME LUFF YOU ALL!

**Disclaimer******I can't comprehend the valedictorian no more than I can comprehend the cave man on those silly Geico commercials. I've told them many times over that I own LWD, but they can't seem to fathom the possibility. But it's true. That is, it's true if my name isn't When0Derek0Met0Casey/Naomi, and I wasn't born on December 15th. (See now you know a little more about me. Fun-fun.)

After the movie there were a few conversations between the three, and Zach had ended up getting to know Casey so well he decided to give her his number on a small slip of paper that she slipped into her pocket. Their conversations started to not include Emily but Casey became distracted when she heard a vehicle pull up next door and Derek's loud mouth not a moment later. She rolled her eyes, and felt a strange guilt come over her.

"The next door neighbors seem obnoxious." Zach stated with a hint of disgust on his face. Casey smiled weakly and Emily smacked her forehead.

"Sorry Zach, I forgot to tell you that Casey lived next door." His mouth hung open in slight embarrassment and astonishment.

"I didn't realize, I didn't mean-"

"It's okay Zach. I think he's obnoxious too. Just don't judge me on how my _step-brother_ is." Casey lolled out. She had a small urge to pat him on the shoulder in a 'I like you, and its okay' kind of way but decided against it. They continued with their previous conversation on saving the whales, during which Emily was highly bored, until a knock sounded on Em's front door ten minutes later.

"Where's Casey?" Derek questioned forcefully once Emily opened the door. Zach looked at him in shame, not worried that Derek might resent his cruel stares. Casey got up quickly, alarmed, and went to the door.

"What do you want Derek?" Derek didn't respond and grabbed her wrist taking her across the lawn to their house. Casey shouted out to Emily, "Don't worry I'll be back over in a sec!" Derek thrust her into the open garage and entered the code to close it behind them. She turned on the lights so she could see.

"Does Edwin know?" Casey gave him confused look.

"Derek? Know what? You have to elaborate…" Derek didn't want to say it out loud. It had been years since he spoke of it aloud, and it wasn't like at the time it was bad. _It was good right? Is it still good, or is it bad? Worse? Better maybe? _His thoughts began to trail. "Derek. Elaboration please."

"Right. Umm. Does Edwin know about how you and I, before the wedding, before George and Nora dated, kissing?" His sentence was as confused and jumbled as his face and posture and Casey smiled, still knowing what he was meaning.

"Not that I know of. I never told Lizzie, or anyone for that matter. Well, I told people when it happened, but I didn't tell anyone… Why are you asking this anyway?" Derek hadn't thought of that. Would it hurt to tell Casey anyway? It's just speculation…Edwin might leak more to her than he wanted. _Or do I want it. I never really felt that way about any other girl. But do I want her to know that?_

"He was just asking about it that's all."

"About me and you?" Derek shook his head.

"About the _girl _I was with two years ago. I don't know what brought it up."

"I have to talk to him about it."

"NO!" Casey looked at him in a shock. "I mean, no, I will, don't worry and I'll talk to you later."

"You will?" There was a strange silence over them. It was a rare occurrence to see it like this. So calm, yet panicked, and frightful, but wanting to have what once was there.

Derek and Casey were inching closer to each other throughout their whole conversation and neither of them noticed until now. Casey smiled, but Derek backed away. She scoffed and walked toward the door into the house, not wanting to bother opening the garage door. Derek walked up behind her just as she dropped a slip of paper onto the floor. Casey turned, pressing up against him. She felt him breathing on her and Derek's eyes transfixed her to not move.

After a few moments of their struggle as what to do, Derek bent down to pick up her paper and looked at it.

_Call me anytime Casey, _

_333-8888._

_Zach._

Anger shot through him, but he smiled up at her. He took the paper and stuck it down into her pants pocket. Casey gasped at the touch and pushed him away.

Now Casey was angry, and she left the garage and went back to Emily's house. Zach was no longer there.

Derek headed upstairs, fuming. He sat down hard on his bed, feeling helpless, feeling betrayed even though Casey hadn't done anything wrong. Trying to kill the thoughts running through his head he turned on the stereo and leaned back.

Something pointy was jabbing at his head through his pillow and it wasn't the notes he hid in there. Curious, he looked beneath his pillow and discovered a brightly designed diary.

Almost instantly he knew who it belonged to. Anxiously he flipped to the latest entry.

_Dear Diary, _

_I had the dream again. The one where Derek kisses me again, just like we used to. In this dream he didn't say words like he usually does, but I think I liked it better that way. Sometimes I guess there really aren't words. Who am I kidding? Getting over Derek is probably never going to happen. I never needed a boyfriend till after I couldn't see Derek anymore. It was pure luck our parents got partnered in a blind date. Well, depending on how you look at it. All I need is another guy and I can get through this final year of living with him. But I still wish I could have that dream, the same way, wordless and realistic, every single night. ……………………………………_

_Casey_

The journal continued on about other things but Derek wasn't interested in what she thought about Lizzie and everyone else in the house. So she wanted to get with Zach to get over him? _But she just met him today. Maybe its' different?_

He closed the diary and put it back under his pillow.

Casey came trudging up the stairs, annoyed. Emily and her chatted for about twenty minutes about Zach, which wasn't horrible, she just wished that he was still there. It wasn't like she was gone that long. Did he want to get away from her that quickly?

She shut her bedroom door and went to her mirror to check her reflection; mainly to see if there was some flaw that would turn him off to her. Deciding it was time to write a journal entry she looked over to her bookshelf.

But it was gone, and in place of it was a bundle of folded notes tied by a rubber band. Frustrated about her diary, she glared at the bundle as though it was the one who had taken it. After searching her room and coming to the conclusion that someone had taken it, curiosity struck her forcefully and she gingerly pulled a note from the bundle.

_Casey, _

_I wish you wouldn't ignore the subject of you and I. I know that you think of it from time to time, and I know that it bothers you. For your sake I hope you dislike me now, because then it would be easier for you to get over me…unless of course you already got over me. I really don't know. But that's not my fault. _

There were some scribbles over a few sentences and Casey read the bottom of the note.

_I'm almost positive you won't read my plea anyways. I hate not talking to you! You drive me crazy, so I only hope I've driven you MAD! _

_Derek. _

Casey folded the note back up, completely blown out of the water as to what she should be thinking. Her mind hummed and pronounced it wanted to read another.

So she grabbed another.

_Dearest Casey, _

_I want to be with you. There I said it. Just because our parents got married, it doesn't mean a thing. What we had came first. Why are you so willing to throw it out? I'm not really one for commitment, but that doesn't mean I'm not willing to give it a chance. You made me see things I never saw before and I loved it as much as I hated it. Something like that has worth doesn't it? Please respond this time._

_Derek._

Casey's eyes were starting to well with tears. Her mind began to think back when she first saw him. He looked so sad. Derek was so willing to talk to her then, and he was such a sweetheart. It was like the moment he gained the title of Step-brother he became this whole new person. And as he had said so himself, it was something she loved and hated. In fact, she loved to hate it and hated to love it. It was confusing. _It is confusing. It's tear-jerking. I just want to REWIND! I wish this never even happened. I wouldn't feel this way and Derek wouldn't leave his notes in here for me to read. I didn't know he felt so strongly though. I thought he was so transparent. Around girls though…he's such a sweetheart. He was with me…and with all the other girls. I saw it. It's not like he teased them like he would tease me. I wish I was his girl. No. I don't. Do I? What do I want?_

She threw the notes onto the floor and flung herself onto the bed. After a few fits of tears and rage she decided to sleep. Hunger wasn't an issue because she had eaten at Emily's. The sun began to fade to a dark red, signaling the coming of night.


	12. Sweet Guys and Sweet Release

**Author's Note******Sorry for the hang up. I have been SwAmPeD with homework. Honestly I _love _school, I just think school should be school and home should be home. It's not like you do kitchen duty at school so why do we have to have school work at home? Unless it's studying, studying I COMPLETELY understand. (And for college because they lecture all day). Anyway, don't ask my opinion on things. I go on for days unless someone, like, hits me in the face. Lolz. Again, sorry for the hang up, and ENJOY the chapter! (Personally, I think I did poorly and would simply adore any one with helpful constructive criticism. Again, Derek seems a bit OOC but I'm trying to make him out of character at night to portray how the difference in him shifts from day to night. I hope in the future to convey it a little better without it being too lovey-dovey or too sexual. We all need a balance.)

**Disclaimer****** I own my left pinky and all the body parts stemming from it. What I don't own is Life with Derek. Although for an hour every weekend I own Micheal Seater. (Hah. I wish.)

"So she really isn't over me?" Derek smirked to himself. Sweet ideas of love were thrown out the window; his thoughts were sexual. It wasn't that he didn't care about Casey; it was just how men were, how men are, and how they will continue to be. He leaned back, closing his eyes. Kissing her that night was sweet release.

He wanted that sweet release again. He needed that sweet release again. Because for the millionth time since he met her his insides turned in some twisted pleasure as his muscles tensed to the thought of her skin on his.

Casey rolled over, once again stuck between a dream and alertness. She desired sleep, but knew she really wasn't in dreamland.

The door opened itself and Casey was afraid to look. The door was shut quietly. She was, at the moment, facing the window as the footsteps crept closer to her bed. Her eyes were closed.

Derek reared around the bed and smiled down at her. She looked so comfortable. He got down on his knees to be level with her face, and was about to kiss her lips when her eyes opened.

"Derek?" Casey whispered in a mild confusion. _First the notes and now this? _Derek backed away and stood up, as Casey sat up in her bed. "What are you doing?" Casey rubbed her eyes, waking up the senses.

"Nothing. Just seeing if you were alright." Casey glared upward at him.

"Yeah, okay. Now tell me why you're really here." He sighed, searching for something to say, or distract her. Or something that he wanted to confirm.

"Casey, do you still like me? Like you used to?" Her eyebrows turned inward.

"Why? Do you?" There was a silence and amidst this most uncomfortable silence they both felt the answer they wanted _was_ the answer. Out of fear, perhaps, neither of them dared to say it. Derek sat down on the bed, and looked out the window. Casey remembered the Derek she knew first, the Derek who was like a guy and not an intentionally obnoxious brother who drove guys away like the plague. Casey scooted next to him, but Derek kept looking out the window. Her arm hooked around his waist and pulled him into a hug. After a few moments he responded by hugging her back.

There was an awkward air about it though, not for the fact of their status as steps, but for the fact that it hadn't been this way for nearly two years. They had grown out of touch. Derek smirked at another one of his guy thoughts as he put his hand on the back of her neck. She looked up at him, trembling.

His face leaned down to meet her lips and after a non-moving kiss, a wave of passion struck and the hunger for one another flourished. His hands pressed on her back, bringing her in closer. Casey lightly scratched the back of his neck, making the hairs on his head seem to tingle.

She pulled away.

"Why did you put those notes in here? In hopes to have this?" Casey made a gesture. She seemed a little angry, but Derek didn't really notice because he was still delirious from their kiss.

"What do you mean?"

"The notes you left in here about how I wouldn't talk to you about us since the wedding? About how you hoped acting like a jerk would make me get over you?" Derek's eyes widened. _I didn't even realize my notes were gone. Some one switched them! It obviously wasn't Casey._

"My notes were in here?"

"Yeah." She looked at him like he was an idiot.

"Your journal was in my room. I hadn't given thought to why it was even in there." Casey's heart dropped.

"M-my j-j-journal? Did you read it!?" She yelped out. Derek ssh-ed (Spelling?) her.

"Did you read my notes?" Casey looked down and nodded a yes. "Well there's my answer."

"How much? What did you read? You didn't read all of it did you? Did you put the notes in here?"

"Calm down. Quit freaking. I only read the last entry." Casey's stomach turned. He read about her dreams. He read about how she still cared. "No, I didn't put the notes in here. How much of mine did you read?"

"Only two notes. If you didn't put them there, and I didn't put them there who did?" Derek looked softly at her.

"I don't know."

Another contemplative silence hung between them. Derek wanted to kiss her again, but felt it wasn't the right time. He needed to know who did this as much as she did, because it was obvious what they knew about them. His gut told him it was Edwin, but hoped he was wrong.

"You should leave Derek." Casey faced out the window. "I don't know…really…what I should do anymore…but for right now you should go." Derek gave a scowl, but silently agreed with her. As he reached the door he turned to see Casey's form in the dark, shining with moon-light. He remembered when Casey was simple, just smiling at her made her weak, and being with her wasn't this difficult. Why did he care? What _really _made her so special?

The door shut softly and as though it were some God-granted tear-switch, she burst into uncontrollable sobs until she cried herself to sleep.


	13. Feelings

**Author's Note******I know it's been a little while, so I've decided to do a recap which can be read below if you need it. I know that some people read other stories and sometimes get them mixed up, I'm the same way so I'm doing it for them! This chapter may be a little off, but work with me, mmkay! It's also a tad short, because I have so much recap. I would love some constructive criticism as well! All reviews are much appreciated! Someone asked when this is going to earn the 'M'. I laughed. Be patient my child. In due course, the world of Dasey will align and all will be at peace. Except for the bed of course.

**RECAP! **

**Chapter one**- THURSDAY/ Derek and Casey fight over the shower, Casey is thrown out half-naked by Derek, and is seen by Edwin who is utterly and completely mortified. Derek gets an e-mail from Kendra inviting him to go on a date. Lizzie and Edwin begin their investigation of the older two because Casey didn't realize she was still topless. Highly out of character.

**Chapter two**- Derek gets out of the shower and tells Casey he is out. Derek apologizes during dinner when he takes food to her room but she doesn't accept. Instead she throws her dinner all over his shirt and ruins his posters and breaks the plate in his room. A fight ensues.

**Chapter three**- Dinner is over and parents, Casey, and Marti are sleeping. Ed and Liz discuss Derek and Casey. Casey has a fight with Derek, which started because of his loud music.

**Chapter four**- Derek says he's going to get back at Casey for his posters and what-not. She thinks he's an idiot. The lights go out. They decide to go out for a walk.

**Chapter five-** FRIDAY/ Edwin and Lizzie don't get to observe much because Derek tells them to go back home because of the chill. Derek and Casey have a small fight. Casey gets cold and Derek puts his coat over her to warm her up.

**Chapter six**- Edwin and Lizzie discover that Derek and Casey were with each other before George and Nora ever got married. They find it out through Casey's diary and Derek's notes he never gave to Casey.

**Chapter seven**- Casey and Lizzie go close shopping a day early and Derek goes on his date with Kendra. Kendra kisses Derek. Casey gets a black shirt with blue hearts because blue is Derek's favorite color. On the back of the shirt it says "Catch my blue heart; I'll make it bleed."

**Chapter eight**- Lizzie wonders if she should talk to Derek about it, but decides she should talk to Edwin beforehand. Derek kisses Casey as she sleeps. She thinks she's dreaming.

**Chapter nine**- SATURDAY/ Derek hit his nose on his nightstand and gets a nosebleed. Casey doesn't think twice about helping him. Edwin pulls out of the investigation because he thinks he knows too much.

**Chapter ten**- Edwin and Derek have a conversation while clothes shopping. Edwin hints that he knows it was Casey he dated two years ago. Derek gets a little panicky. Casey meets Zach. Sparks fly. Em, Zach and Casey watch a movie where-in Casey and Zach flirt by touch.

**Chapter eleven**- Derek and Edwin come back from shopping and Derek goes to Emily's once he finds out Casey isn't at the house. He takes her into their garage and asks her if she told anyone about them. What Edwin was saying got under his skin. When Casey leaves Zach's number falls out of her pocket. Derek is hurt. Casey went back to Emily's and Derek went to his room where he found Casey's journal where his notes were. He read a few entries and was happy that she wasn't over him yet. Casey came home and saw her diary was gone and in place were Derek's notes. She read them in confusion. She cries. Night falls.

**Chapter twelve**- Derek decides to go to her room and kiss her again but this time she is awake. Derek and Casey share a heated kiss and then discuss why their diary and notes were switched. When Derek leaves because Casey said he should, she cried herself to sleep.

**Disclaimer******I already told you. It belongs to chicken pee.

Lizzie had gotten home late last night, too wrapped up in a soccer game with Jamie. Edwin left a note in her room to tell her what he did. She walked to her room after apologizing to Nora and read it to herself.

_Lizzie. _

_I know I said I was pulling out of the investigation, but I think I can help them. It has become clear to me why there was so much tension between them. I don't know what you found in Casey's Diary, but since you found something relative to their situation, I switched Derek's notes and Casey's diary. I hope you aren't too mad. Hopefully it won't hurt your investigation. If you still want me to be a part of it, let me know. Otherwise yell at me tomorrow because I'm sleeping._

_Ed._

Lizzie's arms fell to either side. She felt weighed down by some cosmic force and couldn't decide what she should do. Go up and tell him, or go to bed and freak out about his completely irrational and spontaneous decision that could prove to hurt the whole 'naturally occurring' part of the investigation.

In about ten minutes of her thoughts, she convinced herself that what he did wouldn't do too much harm because all he did was switch the diary and notes which were both a primary source…not by word of mouth from her or Edwin.

Lizzie exited her room, her decision made, only to see Derek come out of Casey's. Her hand shot up to grip her chest, and her lungs stopped breathing from fright. He didn't notice her, because he was looking down and slightly turned away from her. Sobs could be heard from Casey's room. Derek opened his door, looked back at Casey's, and then shut his door behind him.

Lizzie let go of her chest and breathed out again. She was a little shaky, but she blew it off and went up to the attic to talk with Edwin. He sat up, obviously no where near sleep. and looked at Lizzie in the darkness. From his window the moonlight reached to her, only shining light from her nose and down.

"So you want me back in the investigation?" She smiled at him.

"Of course I do. May I ask why you did it though?" Edwin peered up at her, and then leaned back in some thought.

"Agent L. Of course you may ask. My answer: To further the course of nature. If Derek and Casey were together in the first place, why aren't they now? If we want it to unfold, we have to help it along, otherwise they may lose their chance when they graduate and go their separate ways." Lizzie stepped forward. Her eyes could now be seen.

"Good thinking. But if they were really supposed to be together wouldn't they end up that way on their own?" Edwin leaned forward.

"We all stray a little from our fates. Even by accident. We all need to be pushed back on the path otherwise it will continue going in the opposite direction."

Morning came dreadfully to hearts of Casey and Derek. Derek refused to get out of bed when George called up the stairs for him and Casey went for a jog to be as far away as possible.

Last night they kissed.

_Last night we kissed. We kissed. Get over it Casey. It's not like you hadn't kissed him before. So what if your mom got married to his dad. So what if you found out he was as great as you thought. You tried not caring; it failed, so why are you being so hard on yourself?_

Her jogging pace went quicker with each sporadic thought bumbling about her brain.

_He practically confessed to you that he still liked you! And you pretty much said that he only wanted your body! I'm such and idiot!_

She couldn't help switching back and forth from first person thought to third person thought.

_If I could have just let everything be simple, everything would be perfect. I'm so blasted stubborn. But so is HE! I can't take all the fault for this! IS he trying to guilt me into being with him! What, leaving his notes in my room and taking my diary then saying it wasn't him! Yeah right! HE never told the truth before why would he start now. But he never said he didn't like me. _

Casey sat down on the sidewalk. She had been running for nearly an hour, just as she had been running from Derek for nearly a year. All that time she was trying to convince herself of the evil Derek was, when really he wasn't. He was a guy. A normal guy who was probably just as ill-mannered, fiery, and sometimes distastefull as the other men on the planet. We are all human right? We all have bad qualities, right?

Here was the guy that she was hopelessly addicted to, and all she kept thinking about was his motive, or his lies that he might or might not be making up.

And over the year she found millions of ways to convince herself to hate him, but that whole time she knew that she wouldn't let go of how she felt for him.

Because she saw what she loved in him every single day. It just wouldn't leave her alone.


	14. Eavesdropping

**Author's Note******They already got their class schedules before the story started. So when I mention that they had two classes together, know that they already have their schedules I didn't just randomly decide that. (I don't know how it works at most schools but at my school we get our schedules two weeks before school starts.) This is definately longer than last chappie! So enjoy it review it...because I said so. (Powers of mind-control urge you to click submit review)

**Disclaimer**No words needed here. Like hell if I'd ever own it. OH!

Casey finally jogged back home, hoping Derek was still in bed. She wasn't sure as of yet how she should confront him, and there was still the pressing matter of who switched her diary and his notes. Was it in fact Derek or someone outside of them that knew their secret? Hopefully, if it wasn't Derek, they didn't really know their secret. Casey's stomach turned.

Lizzie twirled her cereal around, contemplating Derek and Casey. Nothing happened yet. _Or did I miss it? Derek had come out of Casey's room last night and it was clearly heard that she was crying. Did they already talk because of the notes?_

Edwin trudged into the kitchen. Lizzie frowned at him.

"What?" He asked curiously.

"I think you should've talked to me before you switched them." She said to him in a low whisper, still concentrating on the uneaten contents of her cereal bowl.

"Why do you say that?" Lizzie looked up at him.

"Because last night, before I went into your room I saw Derek come out of Casey's room and she was crying." Edwin looked down and grabbed cereal from the cupboard.

"Could you see his face? Was he happy or angry…or sad?" Lizzie finally took a bite of her cereal before answering him. It wasn't exactly any of those. They were too simple. Usually Derek could be summed up, but from the start of this investigation he became more complicated. Everything was becoming more complicated. It was all so overwhelming.

"He looked remorseful over something, and seemed generally worried about Casey. Before he had closed his door he looked back at hers." Footsteps were heard on the stairs and a long roaring yawn echoed in the dining room and living room. They both knew it was Derek, so they busied themselves with their breakfast.

Derek sat down on the recliner, not a thought given to eating. Quite unlike himself, but considering the events of the past few days and nights, nothing seemed the same. Not exactly at least.

He reached for the remote and as he turned on the TV Casey came in the front door. She looked at him and shut the door, not missing a beat, and walked calmly up the stairs.

_Did it really not faze her? If it didn't faze her why is it worrying me? So when we kissed last night…talked about things…what was it to her? What was it to me? Was it anything? Do I simply want her because she is in the house and is easily accessible? _

Derek closed his eyes. His thoughts were never complicated. After a year of writing letters that were never sent did he develop an emotion he never had or did? Or did he weaken it by making himself angry over the fact she never responded till he finally gave up? _What is THIS? _

Casey walked in her room and shut the door quietly and sank slowly to the floor. Tomorrow she would be riding with him in his new car to school and she would be in two classes with him.

Her eyes wandered across her room as she thought about Derek's intentions, and the things of the past surfacing like this and her eyes happened upon the cell phone Derek had given to her. She let a smile spread across her face.

Casey got up and grabbed the cell phone. It had some new additions to it, but it was still the same cell phone. She kept it at this version and not a new version because she wanted to make sure she kept the memory.

And a thought struck her.

She hadn't called Zach yet. What better way to take her mind off Derek than to call him? In this 'ingenious' idea she hastily grabbed her pants from yesterday and pulled out the piece of paper with his number on it. At this point, since he had given the number to her yesterday, she didn't care how desperate she sounded or acted. He was a nice guy and she needed to escape to some reality, some worry-free zone.

The phone rang three times before a distinct male voice picked up on the other end.

"Hello?" Casey smiled to herself.

"Hi! Is this Zach?"

"Yes, who is this, may I ask?" Casey looked down and smiled wider.

"It's Casey. The girl you met yesterday at Emily's."

"Hey! I'm so glad you called! I gave you my number but I never got yours! I was going to invite you to help out on a 'clean up the park' project that me and some buddies are in on. Are you interested?" Casey stood up, her nerves shaking her.

"Yeah, definitely interested." She laughed to herself. "I, um, what is the planned time, and I'll see if I can go!" Casey heard pages flipping on the other line, which she could only assume was a date book or a planner.

"This Thursday. It's the first week of school so you probably won't have too much homework."

"Okay! I'll talk to my mom! Do you still need my number, or do you have caller ID?"

"I have caller ID." Casey smiled. This was of course nothing she should be smiling about, it was just that he had caller ID, but girls are strange. Oh so strange. There was a silence for a period of time, making her slightly uncomfortable. Just as she was about to say something he started speaking. "Hey I have to go, sorry, I need to read this book I was assigned a summer reading list by an AP teacher I have. You understand right?"

"Yeah! Have fun reading!"

"Have fun doing what you do!"

"Bye."

"Buh-bye." There was a significant click on the other line and Casey turned of her phone. She slunk down onto her mattress and laid there for a few moments soaking in the daylight warming her cool skin.

Edwin and Lizzie finished eating and went up to Lizzie's room for discussion. He sat quietly on the end of her bed as she shut the door. She jumped onto her bed, causing the bedding to become even more frazzled than when she had originally awakened.

"I think what they said should be kept private." Edwin started off. Lizzie furrowed her eyebrows inquisitively, encouraging him to go on with his argument. "I think it should be kept private at least a little bit because Derek was passionate about Casey. I know this because approximately when the diary and notes state they were together he was always talking to me about this girl he was with. She made him feel…made him feel like he could do something…He of course enjoyed what he already did, but he never felt that…" Edwin made an emphatic gesture. Lizzie smiled.

"And you pull all of this from memory?"

"Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie, I'm heart-broken! You doubt my memory? I have an extraordinary memory." She raised her eyebrows at him.

"What was I wearing five days ago?" Edwin smiled at her.

"The only girly shirt you own that's blue with soccer shorts." She frowned at him. He was right after all.

"I think I should have heard what they had to say."

"Why? What would it have done for the investigation? Most of what we do that is true is done by body language not words. It's so much harder to lie when body language is 'talking'. We aren't as aware of it."

"It might have told us if he hurt her on purpose and then felt bad, or she cried because she was hurt by the situation and he was just worried." Edwin smiled.

"Well, that is valuable sis, but I don't think it's that important. We can eavesdrop on other things but for the sake of my brothers privacy I will not eavesdrop at night. And if you do please don't tell me." Lizzie sighed.

"You are weird Ed." He made a face at her. "I'm serious! You're weird about brotherly obligations and brotherly secrets and stuff."

"Hey, I don't question your ways." Lizzie smiled.

Derek got out of the recliner and headed upstairs. From the top of the stairs he distinctly heard his name being said. It was probably Edwin, because it had a deeper twang to it.

He pressed his ear on Lizzie's door and listened.


	15. Reminiscence

**A/N******I left off with Casey getting off the phone with Zach and Lizzie and Edwin talking about eavesdropping. So the first to lines are about that but Derek didn't hear the convo really so he doesn't get it. Sorry for the terribly long wait, my sister started getting on me to write but I have had writers block and a mild obsession with video making. Heh. It was hard to make this chapter because of my lack of –thought- to it, but I did have my sister check over it with me. So if it's rough I apologize. (For those of you who don't know, my sister is on this site by the name of Dye-my-hands-violet. She's amazing and I look up to her in writing. I wouldn't have started this if it weren't for her.) Also, it's rather long, but since you had a long wait, I don't think it will bother you if it's a long chapter. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**I'm the oogie boogie man. WoahAHoough. It's the oogie boogie man (Who doesn't own LWD!)

"Fine Ed, I won't do it at night. But by day I will."

"Thanks for respecting that for me. I really hate it when I do it, but I dislike it even more when others do it." There was laughter sounding from the other side of the door. Derek was uninterested, thinking that he may have heard it wrong, and went to his room.

Ed walked out of Lizzie's room and headed downstairs.

Lizzie started writing something down in her journal concerning the investigation and plans for the new school year. As she was growing she began to inherit her older sister's goal-oriented lifestyle.

Derek opened a comic book and started to distract himself, while Casey…

_Zach. Zach. My escape. Or hopefully _to be _my escape. I can't kiss Derek again. I can't see him in my dreams anymore. I need someone new. I went without a boyfriend too long. That's what I've been doing, isn't it. Trying to make myself hate him, and getting with guys so I don't lose face around him, becoming absorbed into these other guys…but at night…in my dreams…those guys aren't real to me anymore. Not anymore. And Derek can't be a real fantasy to me anymore either. _

She went through old diaries, trying to remember why she had started feeling that way about him, in the ones she had written in before the diary that was switched with his notes to her. Casey happened upon a diary entry on the day she and Derek met. She was refreshed, in memory, through her younger self's words.

_October 4__th__ 2005_

_Dear Diary, _

_I've met the cutest guy! Usually I meet guys through my friends, and my cousins, sometimes even the neighbors but this time I met a guy on my own. And I think he thought I was cute. I am so shy around new people but he instantly made me feel comfortable, it reminded me of my dad. _

_I was walking around campus and I looked at our mascot statue 'guarding' the front door. He was looking at a piece of paper while leaning against the stone block holding the statue high above the crowd. His face looked confused and I guessed that it must be a map he was looking at. Being the helpful person I am I went over to him and asked him if he needed directions. He shook his head no and said that he was reading a note from a girl. Just as I started to walk away after a moment of silence he stopped me. "Actually I do need directions." I smiled, and asked where he was headed. He said he needed to go talk to a guy. Apparently his girlfriend was dumping him for another guy. Before I even learned his name we were headed to a local restaurant where the guy worked. When we walked in a tall, modest looking man looked at Derek, then at me and sauntered over to us. "Already moved onto another girl have you Derek?" (Derek is the guy I gave the directions to, and honestly I was worried my mom was upset that I wasn't at the front of the school ready to be picked up because I usually don't distract from my schedule.) "You had no right to trick Mary into leaving me." _

_So she was leaving him? I was highly interested. My life had no excitement besides schoolwork and friends. Though I thoroughly enjoyed pushing myself past my potential to reach a higher level of thinking, and my friends were awesome to chill with and watch a movie, I had never truly seen anger or hurt, and I suppose some abandoned dark part of my heart longed to know what it was like. Did the hurt heal? Did the anger fade away? What were these emotions? I now had the chance to study it first hand. _

"_I didn't trick her." Were the 'modest' mans words; he was now close enough for me to be able to smell alcohol on his breath. How old was he? How did he get a girl from the much cuter guy, Derek? "She told me that she couldn't handle someone like you anymore. Too much playing around, not enough maturity." Derek stepped forward and then looked back at me. A small smirk stretched on his face and before I knew it his arm was around me and my head was thrusted onto his shoulder._

"_Tell Mary I never want to see her again. She was kind of a whore. I don't want to catch anything." My mouth was agape and the 'modest' man, who seemed more of a 'drunken' man, glared at him for a few moments and then smiled devilishly. _

"_You're not worth it."_

"_Neither is Mary." He walked away and Derek guided me out the door. I remember having too many thoughts running through my head to remember at this point but I told him I had to go. My mom was probably waiting for me at the front of my school. He asked if the one with the statue was my school and I nodded yes. Before I had the chance to run to my school again he stopped me and asked for my name and if it was alright to meet him at the front of the school again tomorrow, because he was only going to be in town for a few days. I smiled shyly and said "My name is Casey, and I would love to see you again." He smirked, and I felt heavy and happy. I know that if I see him tomorrow I will feel amazing. I was so comfortable. _

_Guys like him don't come around often. I can't wait to see him again._

Casey let out a long sigh. That was so long ago. She could now see him any time she pleased and yet chose not to. Why? Because she had seen how he truly was with girls. Even back then. He called that Mary-girl a whore. Sure she didn't know how she really was, but it's not like he wasn't a whore. A true man-whore. Casey laughed at her thought. The memory seemed fresher to her and she was thankful to have kept a diary since she was a little girl. After a few psychology classes she had taken last year, she had realized that it could be beneficial when researching memories or even the change between the past and present. Casey turned the page to see what happened the next day in better detail, her memories of two years ago would never be as clear as it was when she had first written it.

_October 5__th__, 2005_

_Dear Diary, _

_After a long day at school, which is highly unusual (It usually zips by), I saw him again. At first I was afraid that he wouldn't show and I would have told my mom to wait an extra hour before picking me up for nothing. He had came up to me after most people were gone and without saying a word, Derek took my hand and led me to a park I used to go to as a little girl. We sat on a bench overlooking the younger, more energized children, with their parents watching over carefully._

_It was kind of awkward to be in silence, but when I turned to him to say something his eyes were red. I asked what was wrong and he said in a monotone voice, "Mary" but he didn't seem too bothered about it yesterday, why would it bother him today? In the silence I began to notice the colors more vividly and the children were laughing. I've never been in a 'thoughtless' state…not that it was bad…but for a moment, I felt like nothing could go wrong. He turned to me and said, "I think you are really cute…and I don't want to be too 'straight-forward' but I don't want to miss my chance…to kiss you." I turned to him, shocked. I've never actually shared kiss with a guy. I've had boyfriends but the most that happened was hand-holding, cuddling and cheek-kissing._

_The lips were a new territory. I thought he was exhilarating, and cute, and he looked too sad and lonely to say no too at the moment. Afraid, I leaned in, but he leaned in closer leaving the softest kiss on my lips. After another moment his tongue parted my lips, and because I had never kissed anyone I let him do everything first and then I mimicked. With my eyes opened I looked at him. It was highly interesting, but when I noticed that his eyes were closed I closed mine. In the background I heard a kid talking about us and I pushed him away gently. "Their watching us."_

"_Oh. I forgot they were there. Otherwise I wouldn't have…I don't really like kissing in public…it's just…" I told him it was okay and I understood. From there were started having a conversation. I talked about my family while he avoided the subject and then we talked about school and friends, things we liked to do…He thought it was weird that I enjoyed doing school work but I told him the 'natural high' I get from learning, and he _laughed _at me. Can you believe that! I laughed at myself as well, because I wasn't really hurt by it. It was sort of a flirting-type-thing. I felt more girly next to him than next to any other boy, or person for that matter. To everyone I was the smart popular kid. And outside of the school I was the smart neighbor that everyone was intimidated by, and to my friend's brothers I was the little smart girl who was cute but off-limits. It was so hard to feel free to be myself, even though I was myself anyway. _

_And Derek made it okay. Reluctantly I went home. At least I had the promise to see him one more time, not tomorrow, but the next day. I will have to remember to dress up nice for him. _

Sadness washed over her. There was a weight hanging over her head now, dangling like temptation, begging her to pull it closer, pull it off the string. Casey, to this day, still tried to dress up for him. Why had she picked out a black shirt with blue and light blue hearts on it? Because it was Derek's favorite color. Why did she like the saying on the back? Because it reminded her of her feelings for Derek. Why had she tried to forget about Derek? To avoid kissing him, to avoid wanting him, and to avoid loving him.

Derek got out of his bed, now highly bored with his comics, and went downstairs. Edwin was sitting on the couch with Marti watching a cartoon. He picked up the remote and changed it. Marti looked at him with puppy dog eyes and he smiled.

"Hey Smarti, what's going on?"

"Well Smerek, I was hoping to finish the show." Derek leaned back in the chair contemplatively. He handed her the remote and she jumped up in excitement, hurriedly changing the channel to her cartoons. Edwin rolled his eyes and left the room. Derek was, for some reason, offended, so he headed after Edwin into the kitchen.

"Hey bro." Edwin said low.

"Got something on your mind?"

"Nah."

"Alright." Derek said swiftly, glad that Edwin wasn't going to complain about anything. He felt obligated from time to time to act brotherly, but he didn't necessarily want to be a 'counselor'. Definitely Casey's thing. "Casey." Derek whispered out as he left the kitchen. Edwin looked at Derek's back heading toward the stairs.

"Did he just say Casey?" Edwin laughed, "Or better yet, did he just say Casey out loud and realize it?"

A knock thudded against Casey's door just as she finished her second Diary entry. Curiously she opened the door.

"What is it?" She asked Derek with a certain arrogant disinterest, her heart thumping harder and harder.

"I was wondering if I could speak to you…tonight." Casey shifted. She kind of wanted to talk to him, but also refused to utter one syllable to him. Casey wanted answers, so if he was willing to talk she should most definitely jump at the chance to ask.

"I'll be waiting."


End file.
